Analysis of Ice-shedding induced flashover accident on a transmission line in mountainous terrain

Abstract

Abstract Transmission lines are essential infrastructure for modern society. Large amplitude vibration of conductors due to ice shedding may cause electrical faults, resulting from insufficient clearance among different phases and phase conductors and ground wires. A flashover fault on a 500kV transmission line located in a mountainous area, which is caused by ice shedding, is analysed in this paper. The approximate reason and history of the flashover accident were restored by the nonlinear finite element method with the help of ANSYS software. The key physical parameters such as conductor ice thickness and amount of ice shedding at the moment of the accident were analysed. The study in this paper helps to gain a deeper understanding of the ice-shedding–induced disasters of transmission lines and provides important reference for the design of transmission structures.